


Firsts

by moonbunny31



Category: ReBoot (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-08
Updated: 2013-02-08
Packaged: 2017-11-28 15:09:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/675797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonbunny31/pseuds/moonbunny31
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Drabbles of Enzo's firsts in his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Firsts

Loss

Enzo couldn't remember his mother. All that he knew about her was from what his sister and father told him. He was told she was beautiful and kind. She was smart and generous. She sounded like a good mother, but you can't miss someone you didn't know.

Enzo knew his dad, though. He was brilliant but clumsy. He was never angry, but sometimes disappointed. He was funny but socially awkward. He was a very good dad.

The Twin City exploded and Enzo didn't know where to find his dad. Dot didn't know either. Dot knew everything and if Dot didn't know, then it must have been bad.

"I hate you"

He meant it. Dot was a fine sister, as sisters went, but she wasn't really a sister anymore. Sisters sometimes boss you around, but you didn't really have to listen. Dot didn't boss, she ordered. She was always telling him to do things when his dad used to ask. When he didn't do it right away, she yelled. He yelled back and he meant it.

"I love you"

Enzo eventually felt bad about yelling. He supposed he didn't really hate her, just hated when she was trying to replace their dad. He decided he was going to call her Sis; just so they both remembered.

Hero

When Bob first came to Mainframe Enzo didn't see him that much. The strange sprite was always with Phong and nobody knew much about him. Eventually, he started to come to the Diner and Dot started to really smile again.

Game

The games were scary. He didn't know why, but Dot forbid him to go near one and she sounded serious. He figured it was okay to be forbidden because Dot apparently forbid everybody. Except Bob.

Bob always went into the games. When it was over he'd come to the Diner and tell everybody about it. They certainly did sound scary, but they also sounded exciting.

He snuck into a game when Dot thought he was walking Frisket. Bob was angry when he saw him. Dot was furious when she found out. It was scary, but it was very exciting.

Birthday

Enzo decided he birthdays weren't that great. Sure, it was alphanumeric to spend so much time with Bob, but he got tired and Bob got evasive. He slipped away from the data slide when he noticed Bob talking on his keytool. He just wanted to go home and rest until the whole thing was over.

When he got home and saw all that had been prepared for him and he got his upgrade, he decided that birthdays were alright after all.

Friend

He promised Dot that he wouldn't go into the games alone. He didn't promise he would get out the way if it came down on him.

When he rebooted into the water game, he rather liked that he was piloting the little ship himself. He felt a little like Bob and that he was the sole defender. When he saw a sprite about to be deleted he scooped her out of the way. He felt rather heroic and dashed to the back to see who he had rescued. When he got there he saw it was a young girl and he didn't know if she was okay. He brushed his fingers against her cheek and she opened her eyes. He thought that they were pretty eyes until they glared at him and she hissed.

It was a rocky start, but she relaxed and he realized that she was fun and cool. Battling the user with her was exciting. It was better than all the games he played with Bob. He wanted her to stay with him. Then he realized she was a game sprite and game sprites leave with the game.

When he woke up, the game was over and he was back in Mainframe without AndrAIa. He felt worse than he ever felt, but then Bob noticed something on his icon.

Honor

Enzo had lied to AndrAIa when he first met her. He had told her he was a guardian when he wasn't. He knew he had to tell her, but he just couldn't bring himself to see her disappointed face.

The web invaded Mainframe and whether or not he was a guardian was the furtherest thing from his mind. He knew that this bigger than anything that had come before it. It was bigger than Hexadecimal or Megabyte. It was bigger than Bob. Bob working with the viruses was strange but Bob said it was going to work out, so he supposed it was okay.

AndrAIa made a comment about guardians and that reminded him. He made up his mind to tell her, right there, no matter how much it hurt.

When Bob zoomed in and gave him the guardian upgrade, Enzo was shocked but soon realized that Bob didn't have to do it right then, right there. He supposed that was one of the reasons he liked Bob so much. Bob understood a lot of important things.

Keytool

The very idea of being a guardian was exciting. It sounded important and thrilling. Sprites and binomes looked up to guardians. Guardians also got keytools, which could do almost anything.

Enzo wanted a keytool, but he never wanted one like this.

Ridicule

Megabyte and Hexadecimal were the only ones that nobody liked. Megabyte was to be feared and Hexadecimal was just creepy. The saying that Mainframers stick together was absolutely true. Everybody liked everybody in Mainframe.

Bob, Dot and Phong were especially liked. Bob was an excellent guardian. Dot was very kind and very smart. Phong was very wise, even if no one understood him. The binomes rather liked Enzo too, in a way. He had a natural ability in the games for a young sprite.

Bob was gone and Enzo was the only one with guardian programming. It was a difficult time, but even with the upgrade he was still very young and very untrained. He had a natural ability with the games and he was determined, but he wasn't Bob and everybody knew it.

Game lost

It was a tough start, but it was easier with AndrAIa than with Dot because AndrAIa didn't expect him to be Bob. Once he stopped trying to replace Bob he started to find his own style in the games.

He was just starting to get it. Mainframe was just starting to get it. Mainframe was just starting to get him.

The tournament game dropped. He knew it wasn't going to be easy and he watched. He watched how the User moved and he watched how the User finished.

It was the final round, the decider. He thought, just for a moment, that he was going to win but the User changed tactics. He moved in close, swinging his fiery knifed hand left and right. The fire was so bright and hot, Enzo had to shield his eyes and back up. The User paused his advance and Enzo looked up.

It burned and it hurt. His hands went to his face to check for blood. He wasn't sure; it was difficult to see anything. He tried fighting anyway, but he knew it was over.

He didn't want to do it, but he knew the alternative. He changed his icon to Game Sprite and nodded to AndrAIa, knowing she'd understand. Then there was nothing left but the User's hard thin fingers closing on his head and nothing he could do when they started to squeeze.


	2. Chapter 2

Realization

They were finally out of that horrible game. They could finally go home and fix his eye. Enzo wasn't sure how, but he knew Dot could figure it out.

The game cube lifted away from them and AndrAIa gasped. Enzo looked around. This was not Mainframe.

Fight

AndrAIa had been nagging at him to get his eye looked at. She said that it was only going to get worse. He didn't know how it could get worse than it already was at that point.

He was wearing an eyepatch over it so no one had to see it. She said he shouldn't be ashamed of it. He said he wasn't ashamed. It helped keep it closed since it was useless open.

She told him to have someone look at it. He told her he'd have someone look at it when they got back home. She said he needed to have it looked at a lot sooner than that. He yelled. She yelled back and stormed off. He ran after her and told her he'd have someone look at it.

Fistfight

They thought he was a pushover because he had Guardian protocol and because he was weak. Guardians didn't believe in fighting as a rule and he was much too small to really fight back. It was true, of course. He didn't have any experience using his fists. The system was much more violent than anything in Enzo's imagination. Not even in Mainframe's worst with Megabyte swooping in to gain power were the citizens like this.

He lost the fight horribly. As AndrAIa cleaned the blood off and tended the wounds, he vowed never to be called weak again.

Self-hatred

He didn't mind being considered a pushover because he was a Guardian. He hated that they thought he was weak. It brought to mind when he was still trying to win over the citizens of Mainframe. He was too small to be a Guardian. He was still a child. He couldn't save anybody. What hurt most was the knowledge that it was true.

Weapon

He began to itch under his eyepatch. He tried to scratch at it when he thought AndrAIa wasn't looking, but she seemed to see everything. She dragged him to a doctor.

It wasn't a very good doctor. They didn't have much in the way of payment so they had to take what they could get. AndrAIa cried and clawed at the door, trying to get in, as Enzo screamed.

It was meant for a mercenary. The gun and the eye would work in sync with each other. The idea was for a gun-for-hire to have better targeting and tracking. The problem was no one was desperate enough to remove an eye for it. Enzo had to have the eye removed anyway, so the doctor agreed to give him the new one for practically nothing. He didn't know how to disengage the gun from the eye, but Enzo said it was fine. AndrAIa didn't like the gun.

Despair

Enzo had always held out hope that the next game was going to take them back home. Every time a game lifted and revealed another strange system AndrAIa could see the disappointment on his face, but she knew he still held out for the next time.

He was getting irritated with the games and practicing with his eye wasn't going well with the eye causing pain as it twisted into target mode. Another game lifted away and another random dying system took its place. Enzo screamed. They were never getting home.

Waltz

Enzo had felt that this was going to be the dumbest game the User had ever downloaded. He couldn't fathom how a dancing competition proved entertaining in any way. He supposed it was going to be a nice break from all the fighting games they've been in, but it was going to be boring.

That's what he thought until they rebooted and suddenly he was holding AndrAIa in his arms. Whenever he held AndrAIa before it had been in a middle of an explosion or when they were catching their breaths from a virus chasing them. This was different. He never really noticed before how tiny she was or how soft her skin felt.

AndrAIa blushed; Enzo was staring at her. Sometimes sprites and binomes stared at her, but it was in a morbid fascination at her strangeness. She wasn't sure how Enzo was staring at her or how it made her feel exactly, but it was nice. She also couldn't help but notice how tall he was getting or how broad his shoulders felt under her hand.

They turned and Enzo lowered AndrAIa in a small dip. He became fascinated with the lines of her neck and they way everything curved with a fluid grace. He suddenly wished Bob was there more than ever. Games he could figure out on his own. This was something else.

Temptation

They had been in the system for a few minutes; the User hadn't wanted to download a game for some reason. That was fine because this was a thriving peaceful system for once. It remined Enzo achingly of Mainframe, but he found himself smiling.

A game dropped and they won it with ease. AndrAIa asked if they were leaving with the game or staying in the system. Enzo thought about it.

He closed his eyes and changed his icon to game sprite. AndrAIa understood. It was nice, but they still had a job to do.

Deletion

AndrAIa was hurt. She was going to be fine, but Enzo hated to see her in pain. What made it worse was knowing that it was his fault. It was his fault that he showed mercy when the virus called it. It was his fault he couldn't protect her.

He didn't want to leave her side, but he was just so angry. He left Frisket to stay guard over his friend and he ran. He ran until his legs screamed and his lungs burned.

Enzo was just catching his breath when he heard the laughter. It started as high pitched giggles that turned into shrieks. He looked up and the virus dropped in front of him, still laughing. His fur was filthy and clumped. His sharp teeth could hardly fit in his mouth and his eyes rolled everywhere though Enzo knew the thing was staring right at him. It was that spammed virus that hurt AndrAIa.

He stood on his haunches and struck the young guardian with sweep of his long arm. Enzo crashed into the side of a building and fell. The virus laughed harder. Little guardian. Oh, mercy mercy, little guardian. How's your friend, little guardian?

He was laughing. He was laughing at Enzo. He was laughing at AndrAIa. Enzo could still hear AndrAIa's cry of pain, still see her face contort when the virus stuck his claws in her leg and the thing was laughing.

Something twisted and burned inside of him, but he couldn't feel it. His gun leaped to his hand and he lifted it, but he didn't realize it. He screamed, but he couldn't hear it. All he was aware of was the virus's rolling eyes centering on him in shock and how easy it was, how so very easy it was to squeeze the trigger.

There was a flash of light and then nothing. Enzo stared at the empty space and then at his still raised warm gun. He tried to throw it away from him but ti zipped back to his leg holster. He tried again but it wouldn't leave him. The gun was as much part of him as his eyes.

It was his fault. It was his fault that an entity that was suddenly was not.


	3. Chapter 3

Kiss

Enzo finally made it back to AndrAIa and Frisket. AndrAIa was still resting and her leg was looking better, thank the User. He sat down next to her and carefully ran his fingers over her hair which had grown well past her shoulders. She blinked awake. He frowned; he hadn't meant to wake her. She just smiled, but then she frowned when she saw the bruise and the tear track on his left cheek.

AndrAIa glanced down at his gun still strapped to his right leg. Enzo nodded and fresh tears threatened to fall. He turned his head away and started to get up, but she grabbed his hand.

One hand swept his left cheek, wiping the falling tears. The other brushed his right cheek, over the scar and the tears that would have fallen if they could.

Enzo stared at her, the way her eyes focused completely on his face and how soft her hands felt as her fingers trailed over his cheeks and mouth. He looked at her mouth and wondered.

Her lips brushed his. It was so light that there was barely any contact at all, but Enzo's senses became charged. She became the only thing in focus; the way she tasted, the way she smelled. AndrAIa looked at him through her lashes, half shy and half confident. It reminded him of when they first met.

I like you, Enzo.

He pressed his lips against hers. He felt safe. Whole.

I like you too, AndrAIa.

Recruits

A lot of systems didn't have sprites, never mind guardians, and binomes generally stayed away from games. That meant that a lot of systems were dying.

Whenever Enzo and AndrAIa showed up the citizens were curious but excited. They figured that the sprites were going to stay and defend them. They quickly learned that Enzo and AndrAIa had no such notions. Enzo had often offered to teach binomes how to win games, but they were always too frightened.

After another such offer and refusal Enzo became frustrated. The binomes were lucky to have a home and they were letting it die. If they didn't care about being deleted when the system finally crashed, then that was their business. He stormed off.

When AndrAIa brought him back, he was surprised to find over two dozen sheepish binomes willing to try to learn.

Permanence

Enzo was right in the middle of his voice changing. It was a difficult time for any young sprite, especially if he was also worried about an aggressive virus trying to stomp the processor out of him.

The virus was incredibly tall and lean. He also had huge feet and hands. While that usually added up to an awkward entity, this virus was surprisingly agile and fast. Enzo was trying to avoid using his gun by utilizing Frisket, but the dog couldn't get his teeth in. AndrAIa was using the trident she recently found, but her jabs still felt awkward. Everything seemed to annoy the virus more than hurt him.

Enzo was starting to think that it might be wise to retreat when the virus turned and kicked at him. Enzo landed on his back and before he could get up, the virus stomped on his throat.

The foot twisted and Enzo felt himself flicker. AndrAIa screamed. Enzo lifted his gun and fired.

Enzo's throat eventually healed, but his voice was never the same.

Fee

Enzo had lived in Mainframe most of his life where his sister practically owned every business so there was never any thought on how he was going to get food or stay warm. The problem was he wasn't in Mainframe anymore.

No one was willing to take in a couple of system-less sprites and their dog, not even when those sprites defended a game, and everywhere else took units. Game hopping was the only way to ever find home, but it didn't earn them units.

Enzo was supposed to take care of AndrAIa and Frisket. He was supposed to provide for them. It was unlikely that a game was going to drop so they had to spend the night there.

While searching Enzo noticed a wanted poster for a corrupted sprite that was on the verge of going viral. There was a decent reward for bringing him in deleted or compiled. While guardians were supposed to mend and defend systems, this was pushing the line. Enzo's guardian protocol was screaming at him, but his stomach firmly told his code to shut up. Enzo thought about AndrAIa and agreed with his stomach.

He tracked down the near-virus. He was bigger than Enzo expected. While Enzo was training to be bigger and stronger every chance he got, he was still young and still not strong enough to bring in the fugitive compiled.

The reward was less than what was promised, but it was enough that they wouldn't go to sleep hungry or cold. He didn't tell AndrAIa how he got the units, but she didn't have to ask.

Lover

They had often slept wrapped around each other. Besides the warmth, there was a sense of safety and comfort in a familiar embrace. It was starting to get the point where the only way they could sleep was with each other.

They were inside a survival game that often took several cycles to end. It wasn't their favorite game, but there were far worse. Enzo and AndrAIa settled down to sleep for the night.

AndrAIa tucked her face against Enzo's neck and sighed. Enzo wrapped his arms around AndrAIa's waist and his thumb ran along the scales down her spine. AndrAia gasped and looked at him.

Enzo frowned. Did I hurt you?

No, it didn't hurt. AndrAIa tilted her face towards his and met his mouth.

The kiss started as a light brush of lips. AndrAIa pressed herself closer to Enzo. He angled his head and parted his lips in a gasp. One arm curled around her hips and the other wrapped around her shoulders.

The kiss turned desperate and Enzo rolled over AndrAIa. He nuzzled her neck and she brought her knee to his hips.

They moved together without much thought. They focused on their senses of taste and touch with soft sighs and murmured promises.

When it was over they shook, but they fell asleep wrapped around each other.

"Matrix"

Whenever they arrived at system and introduced themselves everybody thought it was funny that his name was Enzo. They said he didn't look like an Enzo.

He had never really thought about it. Once he did think about it, he realized that they were right. Enzo didn't have a beard and a gun. Enzo wasn't tall with arms that threatened to burst his sleeves. Enzo was small and weak.

Enzo had time to play and dream about the glory of being a guardian.

He wasn't Enzo anymore.

Admirer

AndrAIa was right; this was the most devastated system that they had come across. The amount of decay meant that games hadn't been won in a long time. Matrix sincerely doubted there were any sprites left.

He picked up a signal that there was a virus. When he got there he saw that it was a lower class virus and that a small sprite was fighting it. It was obvious neither had a clue what they were doing, but the virus had a slightly better idea. Matrix took care of it.

After the virus was deleted, the kid declared that his help was unnecessary and that he didn't need anybody. Matrix could tell that he didn't mean it, but he didn't have time to deal with the kid's attitude. He left.

He found AndrAIa and a group of binomes with their command dot com. After a little persuading, they managed to get four binomes to agree to the games. It was a depressing number, but they took what they could get. A game dropped and they prepared to enter it. The kid came out of nowhere and plunged for Matrix. He bounced.

The kid had gotten lost because he didn't have enough sense to stay with the group. He didn't even have enough sense to realize that Matrix found him extremely annoying.

Annoying or not, Matrix had to admit Backup had plenty of determination. At the end, he supposed that the system was going to be okay.

Backup seemed upset that he wasn't staying, so Matrix tossed him his old yo-yo. Maybe it would help him remember to stay out of trouble.

As they were leaving, AndrAIa asked him if the kid reminded him of anyone. He seemed vaguely familiar, but Matrix couldn't place where. AndrAIa had a look in her eyes like she was laughing, but she changed the subject. He figured she just liked his kilt, which was fine with him.

Shame

Whenever he was in the games or fighting some virus in some system he never really thought about what he was doing. Losing wasn't an option and weakness and hesitation equalled deletion. Enzo didn't make decisions; survival did.

When he opened the door and the Surfr bumped into him, he was caught off guard. The web-creatures came toward him and his instincts told him he was in danger. Matrix didn't think; survival did.

Of course, there was no need for his gun and Bob told him so, sternly. The look that Bob gave him gave Matrix pause. As child, Enzo sometimes did things that made Bob disappointed, but it was never like this. He couldn't face it.

He sat by himself which gave him time to think. He thought about the things he'd done and, for the first time in a long time, thought about those decisions as Enzo. There was nothing else he could have done in those situations, but it didn't really help.

Homecoming

His home was destroyed. The home that he had worked so hard to come back to had been ripped apart. It was obvious who had let it come to this.

Bob assured him that Dot was fine and he nodded, but he wasn't sure.

Hack and Slash found them and were taking them to Dot. He was grateful for that and that they had been taking care of his sister, but that didn't make them less annoying. They talked non-stop the whole way, particularly about his eye. He was half blind, not half deaf.

They arrived at the underground base and Hack and Slash called out to Dot. Dot turned and he stepped forward.

Dot looked confused and he realized that she couldn't recognize him. He called her Sis and her face cleared. She cried and came toward him with her arms opened wide.

End.


End file.
